Su Qinghe froze for a moment, clearly not expecting him to say that.
Jiang Che tilted his head toward her and asked, “What? Do you think it’s too hard? Do you have so little confidence in yourself?”
“N-No…” Su Qinghe shook her head gently. “I’ll work hard.”
In her heart, she made a silent vow. She would heal her eyes. She would grow stronger. She would never again be someone who could only drag him down.
Only then would she have the right to like him. Only then would she have the right to stand beside him, in the name of a girlfriend… no, in the name of a wife.
Before long, the examination results came out.
Jiang Che returned to the consultation room with a thick stack of reports and handed them to Director Hu.
Director Hu studied each page carefully. His brows were tightly furrowed, and he remained silent for a long time.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
Jiang Che felt his palms grow damp with sweat. In all eighteen years of his life, he had never felt this nervous.
“Grandpa Hu, how is it? Please just tell me straight.”
Director Hu put down the reports, removed his reading glasses, and rubbed the space between his brows before letting out a sigh.
That single sigh made Jiang Che’s heart drop halfway.
“The situation isn’t very optimistic,” Director Hu said, pointing at the CT scan. “Look here. The optic nerve is being compressed, and there’s a clear blood clot at the fundus.”
“This was caused by a strong external impact. The clot didn’t dissipate for a long time and ended up compressing the optic nerve, which led to vision loss and eventually blindness.”
Jiang Che didn’t fully understand the medical terminology, but he clearly understood the words “not very optimistic.”
“So… can it still be treated?” he asked cautiously.
“It can,” Director Hu replied, “but surgery is required.”
“The surgical risk isn’t high, but we can’t guarantee a 100 percent recovery of vision. The postoperative recovery period will also be long and requires careful care.”
“Also…” Director Hu paused and glanced at Su Qinghe. “The surgery cost is not a small expense.”
The moment Jiang Che heard the words “can be treated,” his heart settled instantly.
As long as it could be cured, what did money matter?
Young Master Jiang lacked nothing but money.
“Do it. We have to do it.”
Jiang Che slapped the table, full of bold determination. “Grandpa Hu, please arrange it. Use the best medicine and the best equipment. Money is not an issue.”
When Su Qinghe heard “not a small expense,” she originally wanted to say forget it.
She had no money at all now, and she already owed Jiang Che so much. How could she let him spend more on surgery for her?
But before she could speak, Jiang Che had already made the decision for her.
His tone was as unquestionable as ever, as domineering as a CEO, unreasonable yet resolute. Once again, Su Qinghe’s emotional defenses collapsed.
No one had ever chosen her so firmly.
No one.
Director Hu looked at Jiang Che’s confident and wealthy demeanor and smiled as he shook his head. “You child. Fine. Since you’re this determined, I’ll arrange it.”
“But not immediately. The girl’s body is too weak. When I examined her hands earlier, it was obvious her blood and energy are insufficient. Her arms are very thin. She needs to nourish her body first before she can undergo surgery.”
“How about this? I’ll prescribe some medicine to promote blood circulation and dissolve the clot. Let her take it for now. Come back in half a month for a follow-up, and then we’ll set the surgery date depending on her condition.”
“Alright, thank you, Grandpa Hu!”
Jiang Che took the prescription. The gloom on his face vanished, and he smiled brightly.
Wasn’t it just about nourishing someone? That was easy.
He was fully confident he could raise Su Qinghe to be fair and healthy.
And if her eyes could be healed, what was half a month? He could even wait half a year.
When Jiang Che and Su Qinghe came out of the consultation room, Bai Yuning had just finished her meal and returned. The three of them happened to run into each other again.
Seeing Jiang Che’s delighted expression, Bai Yuning knew the result must have been good.
“How is it? I told you that old man Hu had real skills.”
“Of course. My sister has great influence.”
In a good mood, Jiang Che rarely praised her. He waved the prescription in his hand. “Sis, I’m going to get the medicine. Help me watch her for a moment.”
After saying that, he gently pressed Su Qinghe down onto a bench and hurried off to pay and collect the medicine.
Bai Yuning watched Jiang Che’s retreating figure, then turned to Su Qinghe with a teasing smile.
“So, Qinghe, didn’t I tell you?”
She leaned closer and said in a lower voice, “That boy definitely has a little something for you. Spending time with such a gentle and beautiful girl like you, feelings are bound to grow.”
Su Qinghe felt embarrassed by the praise. Her small face flushed slightly red, and she nodded softly. “Mm. Jiang Che is really good. I will work hard.”
“Mmm, teachable indeed. You’re the younger sister-in-law I’ve chosen. Don’t disappoint me.”
Bai Yuning leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Remember the tricks I taught you earlier. Use them when you go back. Especially that one… you know.”
Su Qinghe’s face turned instantly crimson. Of course she knew what Bai Yuning meant.
Act weak. Act spoiled. Climb into his bed and slip under the blanket…
Just thinking about it made her feel like she was on fire. It was far too embarrassing for her.
“Alright, I just came out to walk off my meal. I still have to go back to work, so I won’t stay with you two,” Bai Yuning said.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Che returning with a bag of medicine. She patted Su Qinghe on the shoulder and straightened up. “Come on, little sister. I’m rooting for you.”
As her words fell, Jiang Che walked over with the medicine.
“What are you two chatting about so happily?”
He handed the medicine to Su Qinghe and freed one hand to hold hers.
“Nothing. Girl talk. Don’t pry.”
Bai Yuning waved her hand and turned to leave. “Alright, hurry back. Don’t block the view here.”
“Okay, we’re leaving then, sis. I’ll treat you to a meal next time.”
After saying goodbye to Bai Yuning, Jiang Che led Su Qinghe away, and they soon left the hospital.
They had been busy all morning, and it was already lunchtime. Both of their stomachs growled in unison.
Jiang Che originally planned to go home and cook instant noodles to make do. He wasn’t picky about food. As long as he could fill his stomach, that was enough.
But then he realized he wasn’t just feeding himself now. There was also Su Qinghe.
He glanced down at the slender, pale arm he was holding. Faint blue veins could be seen beneath the thin skin. Her small hand was bony and far too thin.
Young Master Jiang immediately made up his mind and led Su Qinghe toward the commercial street across from the hospital.
It was called a commercial street, but in reality, it was just a corridor lined with various restaurants.
Jiang Che brought Su Qinghe into a Cantonese restaurant.
He preferred light flavors, so he liked Cantonese cuisine. When he ate alone, he often chose it.
He was familiar with this place because he often came to the hospital to chat with Bai Yuning and would eat here afterward.
In his opinion, the taste was authentic, the prices reasonable, and most importantly, the food was light yet nutritious. It was perfect for someone like Su Qinghe who needed to recuperate.
The waiters recognized him as a regular customer and warmly led them to a window-side booth.
Su Qinghe clutched Jiang Che’s sleeve. Hearing the clinking of tableware and the soft background music around her, she took tiny steps, shrinking into herself like a quail just out of its burrow, feeling uncomfortable everywhere.
“Sit down slowly.”
Jiang Che gently pressed her onto the soft sofa seat. He unwrapped the tableware, rinsed it with hot water, and handed it to her. “I’ll get someone to bring the menu. Tell me what you want to eat.”
Su Qinghe fumbled for the chopsticks. When they entered earlier, she had heard the hostess call out dishes like abalone and sea cucumber. How much would this meal cost?
“Jiang Che… should we change to another place?”
Her voice was soft, her head lowered so much it was almost buried in her chest. “I can just have a bowl of noodles. This place sounds really expensive…”